Gerotor type hydraulic pumps typically include internally toothed and externally toothed gear members rotatably disposed within a pump housing. The gear members are coupled to the engine in such a way as to rotate in proportion to engine speed. The teeth on the respective gears cooperate to define a plurality of variable volume pumping chambers whereupon during rotation of the gear members, a pumping chamber increases in volume to a maximum volume, then decreases in volume. Fluid from the pump's low pressure inlet port is drawn into pumping chambers that are increasing in volume. Upon further rotation of the gerotor when the pumping chambers are decreasing in volume, the fluid is pushed out through the pump's outlet port at a higher pressure. As the engine rotates at a higher speed, oil pressure may increase to undesirable levels. To overcome this situation, a pressure relief valve is provided in the pump to direct the excess oil back to the pump inlet cavities. The flow of the fluid which is emitted from the relief port to the low pressure side of the pump, however, is not guided in any way once it passes through the relief valve outlet. When this return flow is relieved from the high-pressure side of the pump, it must merge with the inlet flow from the pump, which supplies fluid to the low-pressure side of the pump. Because the return flow and inlet flow are traveling in opposite directions, the pressure and flow rate become unstable, causing "flow dip", a decrease in net inlet flow, and "pressure dip", a drop in pressure that results from turbulence. In particular to an engine oil pump, the traditional method for avoiding this pressure and flow rate instability which effects the pump's capability to adequately lubricate the engine, has been to operate the pump with a pressure relief setting 20% greater than the engine requirement. This practice results in not only the necessity for an oversized pump which hinders fuel economy, but also creates a potential noise concern, as the pressure pulsation causes a vibration.